Getting The Genie Back In The Bottle

So I looked in the mirror this morning and some sloppy looking tired dude was brushing my teeth. I took a good look at him. He looked a lot like me a couple of months ago but the muscles were less round and full, and the belly wasn’t. His shoulders stooped, and his arms were clearly struggling under the weight of my toothbrush. But it was his eyes that really caught my attention. I could see that they were tired and discouraged. If I weren’t so tired and discouraged myself, I would have felt sorry for him. They said he was disgusted, and frustrated, and that he knew he had brought this on himself.

Just a short time ago, back in early July, I could see my belt without the aid of a mirror. It had been so long since I could I feel it’s worth writing about. I had veins in my arms, and my abs had almost worked their way to daylight. Children and mothers stood slack jawed as I ran past in a tank top and shorts. Running was easy then, and it made me feel so alive. When I walked into the gym people were smiling at me and saying hi, and girls were checking ME out now instead of Ana. My beautiful wife kept telling me how good I looked, and I was buying it. I felt young, full of energy, healthy, and invincible.

It was about then that I pissed it all away.

The family came to visit from Brazil. I was looking and feeling so good I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I indulged a little, so I did. That one decision cracked the seal and two months later I sill haven’t managed to get the genie back in the bottle.

When the old fart in the mirror finished brushing my teeth we had a heart to heart talk. He told me that at 57 I don’t have room to indulge and that no matter how much progress I make, fitness needs to be maintained consistently. He said it’s something I need to prioritize, no matter what is going on, just like eating and sleeping.

After our talk, I sat and pondered my situation for a while. There was only one thing to do, and I had to do it immediately or something else would always get in the way. I dropped to the floor in our hotel room and did 40 pushups, then 40 crunches.

 It wasn’t much as far as workouts go, but it was a start. It was the best thing I could have done for myself and my family.

The long road back has started, and it’s a road I intend to be on for the rest of my life.

categories
FitnessThis Week

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shop Blessed